Switch box



Feb. 13, 1923. 1,444,858.

G. B. WADSWORTH.

SWITCH BOX.

FILED ocT.|1,191r.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Mouv@ Patented Feb. 13, 1,923.

UNITED STATES 1,444,858 .PATENT OFT-ica GEORGE B. WADSWOBTH, OF COVINGTON, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOB TO THE WADSWORTH ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY, F COVINGTON, KENTUCKY, A CORPORA- TION OF KENTUCKY.

SWITCH BOX.

Application le'd October 11, 1917. Serial lo. 198,023.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, GEORGE B. WanswoRTH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Covington, in the county of Kenton and State of Kentucky,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switch Boxes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact .description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specilication.

My invention has relation to safety switch boxes ofthe type which shut off 'the switch before exposing the fuses, and to devices of this nat-ure more particularly where the switch cannot be closed without closing off the fuses as well.

The great difficulty in making a market for safety switch boxes in ordinary domestic or commercial installation is the expense of the devices which have been hitherto devised. In the first place it is desirable in a switch box, if it be used for preventing theft of current from the fuses or switch points, that the lid be a sliding one. A hinged lid for the fuses is difficult to bring down tight enough to prevent a small wire being run out from the fuses.

Then again, a'heavy cast box, or abox of the usual type wherein the parts are welded together, requires so much labor and ma-terial that the advantages to be gained by their use is to a large degree offset by the expense of manufacture.

It is the object of my invention to provide a switch box of the theft-preventing pattern, in which the parts are made of sheet metal in the fewest possible number, and in which the container portion of the box, including also the meter protector casing at the top of the box are struck out so as to be interlocking, and to make a pure assembly job without any soldering, riveting or the like.

It is also my object to provide a box which complies to the full with all present laws and rules of fire protection, and in which the usual knife blade pattern of switch may be used, and in which the fuse compartment is shut off entirely before the switch is closed.

'Generally the object is to provide a box -of the safety and theft-preventing pattern which can be put out cheaply and still provide the greatest possible number of advantageous features from the point of view of installation and use.y Thus among other l things, the wires may be connected up to my box while it is part-ly attached y-to the wall and still open, prior to assembling the balance of the parts thereof. Also the box may be shipped in knockdown condition, thereby saving considerable freight charges. `These objects and other advantages, as will appear from the following description, I accomplish by that certain construction and arrangement of parts -to be hereinafter more specifically pointed out and claimed.

In the drawings,

Figure l is a perspective view of the box complete.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section thereof, showing the lid slightly removed from place on the box. l

Figure 3'is a detail section of the spring catch for the sliding lid, taken on the line 4, 4, of Figure 4.

Figure 4 is a. bottom plan view of the lid.

Figure 5 is a' perspective view of the closing piece of the upper end of the box, on which the meter protector is mounted.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the main body of the meter protector casing.

Figure 7 is a perspective view ot' the fuse mounting plate which is inserted in the box.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the front Wall of the meter protector casing.

Figure 9 is a side elevation of the main box portion.

Figure 10 is a detail plan view of the switch closing means and the yoke for closinv the sliding plate in the lid of the box.

n the embodiment of. my invention shown in the drawings for illustrative purposes, the container proper is formed up in a three-sided structure having a base l and sides 2 and 3. A little forward of the center line of the box, at the ends, there are formed on the sides the tongues 4, 4, one of which as at 5 is longer than the rest to serve as a sealing or. locking plate for the switch, as will be described. The base is turned up to form flanges G. 6, at each end for holding the end pieces. The ends of the box comprise a plain lower end 7 which fits under the flange 6, and engages over the outside of the sides 2 and 3 by means of flanges 8, 8. Cut in the ends 7 are slots to permit 'the passage of the tongue 4 at one side and the special tongue 5 at the other.

The end now described forms the bottom of the box when it is secured against a wall board or the like, with the base of the box forming the part that is secured to the wall.

The top of the box is formed of a plate 9 (Figure 5), which fits down inside of the liange 6, and engages over the sides 2, 3, by means of flanges 1G. There are slots in this piece also for the twotongues 4 at the upper end of the box. p

' There is a cut-away opening 11 in the top which provides a passage for wires from the interior of the box to a meter adapter or easing. The metal of the piece is bent over in forming this hole 11 so as to form a locking abutment liange 13 for the meter adapter and slideways 14, 14, beneath which the adapter is moved into place, and which then hold it down firmly against the top 9, over the hole 11 therein.

This adapter is made of two pieces. The main portion is a three-sided stamping having a back 15 and two sides 16, 16. The sides slope in and a sort of skeleton base for. the stamping is formed having ribs 17, 17, that engage in the slideways 14 above mentioned,

and a rib 18 that slips 4under the ange 13. Two hooks 19, 19, are formed on the sides of this stamping at the forward edge.

The adapter has a front plate 21 which has slots 22 therein for engaging the hooks 19.` This brings it tightly" up against the sides 16 of the main body of the adapter.

The plate 21 fits the front of the adapter and has hooked tongues 23 which pass into the interior of the box through slots 24 in the top 9 thereof.

As so far described, the box has sides, base and ends, with a casing secured thereto and having a tapering contour to fit an ordinary electric watt-meter, said casing also having communication from its base to the inside of the box. These parts are interlocked with each other, but not so Jfar as now described are they formed into a comusually employed orelectric lighting, elec- This stamping has a base in tongues 29.

tric motors and the like are mounted on a plate 26 in the usual manner. This plate is supported on a stamping which is set into the box and locks the meter `adapter in place. I 27 on which the fuse block or plate 26 is mounted., and an end plate 28, which terminates at its upper end The other end of the base 27 has two slots 30 and extends upwardly and is bent at 31, said bent ends 31 having tongues 32, 32, at their tips. The topl edges of the sides of the main box portion are slotted as at 33, 33, to receive the tongues 29, 29, and 32, 32, of the fuse support. This support is of such dimensions perferably that it hangs in the sides of the box with its base held considerably away from the base of the box, so as to clear the opening 11. 1t is to be noted particularly that the inner walls of the slots 30, 30, of the fuse holder enga-ge the tongues 23, 23, of the front plate of the meter adapter, thereby holding this front plate against being withf drawn, and thereby locking the adapter,-the

box end and the fuse holder together. The iare to the walls makes a wedged fit between the parts.

Located in the base of the box is a. switch block 33, having ,bifurcated switch points 34. 34, and 35, 35. An ordinary double switch blade 36 is hinged between the points loop 40 of suitable, wire or the like, to form v a slotted member to engage over the yoke at its central portion. When the handle is turned, the yoke 39 will swing upwardly or downwardly as the case may be. The loop on the switch blade runs about parallel with the blade and thus the first part of the mo-v tion of the yoke will move the blade but slightly. W hen the yoke has passed the center of its motion and begins to bear down against the switch blade, it will cause the blade to swing down into contact. @n re-` versing the handle, the opposite will occur and the switch contact will be broken before the yoke has made but a small proportion of its movement.

The lid for the box comprises a body portion 41 having flanges 42 around all four sides for lapping the sides and ends of the box proper. At the central portion of the flange, at thel upper end of the lid, isv a reentrant tongue 43, that when the lid is set in place is inserted in a slot 44 in the upper end plate of the box. An outwardly extending tongue 45 is provided on the lower end against removal, which holds the meter adapted. The lower end piece is held also by lWhen it is As so far described, the box has within it a switch, and a separate compartment for fuses, cut off from the switch altogether and lifted off the base of the box entirely. The lid when closed is adapted to cut off the switch entirely from accessibility, but an opening 47 is formed in the lid to give access to the fuses.

Running along the edges on the under side of the lid are two guide anges 48, 4S,

' formed of metal strips bent length-wise and screwed up against the under face of the lid. Running in these guides is a sliding shutter 49 for the opening 47. The shutter has depending fingers 50, 50, at each side which lie in thepath of the yoke 39. Vhen the yoke is swung upwardly, the fingers 50. 50, are thrust upwardly and the shutter is moved over the opening 47. When the yoke is retracted,vthe fingers are free to fall and bring the shutter to open position.

The dimensions of the shutter are such that it will bein position to close the opening when the yoke is about midway of its movement. The switch is then closed with but slight move-ment of the lid. The lost motion in the loop that is attached to the switch bar permits the extended motion of the lid without equally affecting the switch, since the yoke transmits motion on a much longer line to the shutter than to the switch bar.

.in engagement with the slot when assembling the box. The fingers are on the sides oi' the shutter and hence do not interfere with the switch bar movement.

lVhen the slots 51 are not used, a. device is preferably provided for holding the fuse cover `or shutter in closed position after it has been freed for downward movement by the opening of the switch. This in its most simple form comprises a. small spring plate 52 mounted along one of the shutter guides, and projecting into the. path of a. turned over tab 53on the shutter. A button 54 is set into the lid, and has a knob 55 on its outer end on the outside of the lid. The

lbutton lies between the lidv andthe spring The flange of the lid has a hole 57 therein into which the projecting portion of the pin will engage automatically when the lid is thrust home over the box.

Should it be desired to permanently ground the meter adapter to the body of the box against all chance of insulating due to the japanning on the metal, a screw 55 may be turned into the adapter shell at any desired point.

One of the advantages of the structure desired is that it will permit of doing away altogether with the complicated and expe-nsive lwiring for meter boards in installations in apartment and office buildings. All that is needed for a` number of installations is a number of the boxes. They may be set side by side and the service mains run through the row of boxes, through the holes 59 in the sides of the boxes. The fuse compartments are removable and raised from the bases of the boxes so that the space through the boxes is an enclosed wire gutter which is readilyv available. The meters will be set in the adapters in each box, and as many more boxes as are desired may be set in line.

The removability of the fuse chambers, and the fact that they are raised from the base of the box greatly facilitates wiring up the switch and the fuses and meter from the box. The removable ends and lid permit the binding posts on the switch to be reached locking facilities and easy installation resulting from the knockdown structure and the arrangement of parts make it a valuable electric installation device, .in place of the usual nonprotective switch, without taking into consideration the protection against shock in removal of fuses, and the preven tion of theft of current. f

lFrom the point of view of perfection of mechanical details of the device, it should be noted that the crank works direct on the yoke which itself is permanently connected to the switch, such that no reliance is had on Sliding switch closing bars, or connections from the shutter to the switch bar which might result in a partial closing of the switch and its attendant dangers. In

closing a shutter, one pulls it shut, and feels that this is sufficient, but a crank will be turned as far as it will go. Y

When the switch handle is locked down and the switch is open, the fuses may still be covered up by the shutter so as not to be exposed in an unsightly manner.

It should be noted that it is not essential that the 'fuse mounting means shall be the one that is removable from the box so as to provide the wire gutter that is available for further connections, since the switch member might be the removable one, At this time I cannot see the possibility of complying with proper practice and still placing the switch in a removable, raised shell or compartment member, and accordingly do not show or describe this as a modification ,of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

ll. A safety box for uelectric installation having sides, base, ends and a lid or cover, a fuse housing'formed as an independent insert, means for seating said insert demountably in the box, said lid adapted to hold the fuse housing in place, and having a shuttered opening to expose fuses within the housing, said fuse housing, lid and box so arranged as to leave' a compartment Within the box for a switch which is inaccessible from the fuse housing as same is exposed by the shuttered opening in the lid.'

2. A safety box for electric installation having sides, base, ends and a lid or cover, a fuse housing formed as an independent insert, means for seating said insert demountably in the box, said lid adapted "to hold the fuse housing in place, said fuse housing, lid and box so arranged as to leave a compartment within the box for a switch Lea/4,858

which is inaccessible from the fuse housing as same is exposed by the shuttered opening in the lid, said fuse housing and seating means so arranged as to leave clearance between the base of the box and the inner portion of the housing.

3. A safety box for electric installation having sides, base, ends and a lid or cover, a fuse housing formed as an independent insert, means for seating said linsert demountably in the box, said lid adapted to hold the fuse housing in place, said fuse housing, lid and box so arranged as to leave a compartment within the box for a switch which is inaccessible 'from the fuse housing as same is exposed by the shuttered opening in the lid, said fuse housing and lid forming a compartment entirely enclosed from any other portion of the box interior and accessible onlyl through the shuttered opening of the lid.

4. A safety box for electric installation having sides, base, ends and a lid or cover,

a fuse housing formed as an independent insert, means for seating said insert demountably in the box, saidlid adapted to hold the fuse housing in place, and`- having a shuttered opening to expose fuses within the housing, said fuse housing, lid and box so arranged as to leave a compartment withy in the box for a switch which is inaccessible from the fuse housing as same is exposed by the shuttered opening in the lid,

the seating means for the housing compris-- ing tongues on the housing and slots in the sides of the box in which the tongues en- 

